James Emerson Fletcher
James Emerson Fletcher, commonly known throughout the series as Jaimy, is from a first class family in England. Jaimy was put on a ship when he was fifteen because of a fall in his family's income in the wine industry. On the HMS Dolphin, James was given the rank of ship's boy, and is later promoted to Midshipman and Lieutenant. Throughout the series, Jaimy pursues his naval career while trying to maintain his relationship with Jacky. Story It was when Jaimy was a ship's boy that he found his true love, Mary "Jacky" Faber (then disguised as a ship's boy) and spends most of the series either waiting for her or chasing her down so they can finally get married. He shared a hammock with her for a time on the Dolphin. There was a time when Jaimy shunned Jacky before he knew that she was a girl because he thought he was starting to like her and feared he was developing homosexual feelings towards her. During ''Under the Jolly Roger'','' Jacky thought that he had abandoned her for another, prettier girl who turns out to be Jaimy's visiting cousin. In [[Mississippi Jack|''Mississippi Jack]], Jaimy finds himself naked in front of a girl after being attacked and mugged by a pair of highwaymen, posing as his traveling companions, who had stolen everything he owns and left him for dead. The girl, Clementine Jukes, secretly houses and clothes him, and has a not-so-secret crush on him. They soon consummate their friendship, with Clementine unaware that Jacky is in fact a boy. When she finally discovers this, she leaves him. Jaimy, despondent and vengeful, buys a sword, a rifle, and a pistol, then hunts down the highwaymen and viciously kills them. Despite his assumption that he is no longer in Jacky's heart due to Jacky's tryst with Richard Allen, Jaimy and Jacky rekindle their relationship after Jaimy rejoins the Navy. In ''My Bonny Light Horseman'','' Jaimy is involved in a battle with the French at sea, after which he is captured and tossed into the same French prison Jacky has found herself in. However, he is delirious from a head injury and remains unconscious until Jacky, making a deal with Sir Thomas Grenville, secures his release. After Jacky's execution is faked by English spies in France, Jaimy is one of the first to learn of her survival, and he informs several of Jacky's close friends about this. From there, Jaimy works with Higgins to figure out Jacky's exact whereabouts, and becomes Captain of the ''Nancy B. Alsop in her absence. In ''Rapture of the Deep'', Jaimy is installed aboard the Dolphin in order to provide protection for Jacky's mission to lift Spanish gold from a sunken ship in the Florida Keys. During this time, Jaimy becomes close with Richard Allen, whom he previously despised, and is given command of the captured San Cristobal during its trip from the Keys to Jamaica. In [[The Wake of the 'Lorelei Lee'|''The Wake of the 'Lorelei Lee']], Jaimy is put on trial as an accomplice to Jacky's apparent theft of the Spanish gold (falsely implicated by Harry Flashby). Thinking she has been hanged, he demands the same punishment she received, and is sentenced to be deported to the penal colony in Australia. On the way to Botany Bay, Jaimy encounters members of Jacky's old ''Emerald crew, and swears to kill both Flashby and Alexander Bliffil when he gets the chance. When things seem bleak aboard the prison ship Cerberus, Jaimy forms a plan with Jacky's Irish friends, including Arthur McBride and Padraic Delaney. Using Jacky's shiv (clandestinely passed to him during a chance meeting between the two prison ships), Jaimy kills Vance and Napper, as well as other officers onboard, and wedges the crew quarters shut. He soon becomes captain of the Cerberus, and finds his way back to Jacky. In ''The Mark of the Golden Dragon'','' after Jacky is swept away by a typhoon and presumed dead, Jaimy takes up the mantle of "The Black Highwayman," a violent robber who preys on wealthy Brits. His goal is to hunt down and kill Flashby and Bliffil, whom he blames for Jacky's death, as it's their fault she ended up in that typhoon in the first place. After killing Bliffil in a duel, Jaimy begins to think he is losing his mind, and takes up with a girl named Bess at the Blackthorne Inn on Blackheath Road. Eventually, Jacky brings Flashby to him, but Bess is killed as Flashby tries to escape, and Jaimy does not believe that Jacky really is who she says she is, having lived too long without her and let his sense of vengeance drive him mad. Jacky brings Jaimy with her anyway. In [[Viva Jacquelina!|''Viva Jacquelina!]], Jaimy lives in Rangoon under the tutelage of Kwai Chang, a master of Bujutsu. He learns how to fight with a Bo staff, and more importantly, he clears his mind of anger and rage. At peace now, and in disguise as a Eurasian businessman, Jaimy returns to Boston with the purpose of opening a shipping company for Chopstick Charlie. Unfortunately, Jaimy goes through some of Jacky's possessions at Faber Shipping and discovers La Maja Virginal, the nude painting of Jacky done by Amadeo Romaro. Jaimy then swears to leave Jacky's life forever once his business in Boston is done. After passing Jacky on the street, Jaimy decides to give her one more chance, and writes her a letter. However, the letter is intercepted by Clarissa Worthington Howe, who fools Jaimy into thinking Jacky has forgotten him. Jaimy returns to England to pursue his naval career, the only thing that gives him any sense of fulfillment. Stationed upon the HMS Shannon, Jaimy returns to Boston in order to see Jacky one more time. In ''Wild Rover No More'','' the two clear the air and embrace, just as Chloe Cantrell informs Jacky that the authorities are once again after her as a result of Flashby's attempt to frame her for treason. In the end, Jaimy returns to America with exoneration papers for Jacky, and the two reunite, planning to marry. Description On page 44 of the paperback edition of "Bloody Jack", Jacky describes Jaimy upon first seeing him as "...a tall, thin lad with dark hair that is actually combed..." Later in the series, he gets even taller, and fills out his uniform more, much to Jacky's liking, when he becomes a Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. Family James Emerson Fletcher's family consists of his mother, father, three sisters, and one older brother. * Jaimy's mother does not approve of Jacky because she grew up on the streets and disguised herself as a boy on the [[The HMS Dolphin|HMS ''Dolphin]], among many other things. * Jaimy's father is a wine shipper, who owns Fletcher and son's Wine business which almost perished because of all the blockades in the war against France. He approves of Jacky because his son truly loves her and he treats her like family, even if his wife disapproves. * Jaimy's brother's name is George. George was sent to school to become a lawyer in the hopes that he could help support his family while their father's wine business was suffering. George has expressed regret that he wasn't the son sent off to join the Navy, despite all the injuries he has seen his brother with. Category:Male Characters Category:Characters Category:Major Characters